Two Dutch football coaches are in with a chance of winning South Africa’s premier league title this season. Foppe de Haan and Ruud Krol have succeeded in raising the level of play in the country that hosted the 2010 World Cup.

“Faster, faster! C’mon! C’mon!” yells Foppe de Haan, out on the pitch with the young players of Ajax Cape Town, a satellite club of its Amsterdam namesake. With only two matches left to play, the club is top of the South African premier league. Depending on how its rivals fare, Ajax could even snatch victory this weekend. Not bad for a club that only managed seventh last season.

Timid bunch
De Haan (67) is in his second season with the South African club. Standing on the training field with its magnificent view of Table Mountain, he recalls “The players weren’t used to using their own initiative. The previous coach told them what to do and if they didn’t do it, they were reprimanded. They were a timid bunch. Now they’re much more independent.”

Formerly coach of Friesland’s SC Heerenveen and the Netherlands’ national under 21s squad, De Haan has a reputation for nurturing talent and teambuilding. He brought Heerenveen up from the lower regions of the Dutch competition and made double European champions of the Dutch national under 21 squad. He describes coaching in South Africa as a working holiday, thanks to the lovely weather and the beautiful landscape.

Before his arrival, De Haan explains, the team mainly played kick and rush football. “They kicked long balls to the front and chased after them in the hope of getting a shot at goal. That’s changed dramatically in the past year. Instead of a running match, now it’s all about passing. On a good day we can play very attractive football.” 

Krol’s Pirates
De Haan is not the only man to inject more structure and style into South African football. At Orlando Stadium, in Johannesburg’s largest township Soweto, you can find Dutch coach Ruud Krol on the touchline, gesticulating wildly. It looks like he’s trying to shout the ball into the back of the net. The fans blow with all their might on their vuvuzelas. But Soweto’s Orlando Pirates lose the match.

Krol’s team are currently second in the league. “We still have a shot at the title, but we no longer have the lead,” says Krol. “We have to win, but our fate also depends on what the other teams do.” He paces over the training ground, grumbling. The premier league is now in its crucial phase but the training ground is doubling as a car park for a rugby match. In English with a heavy Amsterdam accent, he urges his players on: “We have to stay positive. We have to keep on fighting!”  

Krol (61) has been coaching the Pirates since 2008. His team is riding high in the premier league and South Africa’s cup tournaments. They also used to play individualistic football, with long lobs to the front of the pitch. Krol, who played for Ajax during the Amsterdam club’s 1970s heyday, introduced them to what he calls “appealing combination football”.

Another calibre
South African sports journalist Carlos Amato says his country needs coaches like the Dutchmen. He believes De Haan has brought unprecedented tactical discipline to South Africa. “It’s usually the has-beens or the young novice coaches we get over here. De Haan is another calibre altogether.”

When Ajax Cape Town and the Orlando Pirates met last season, De Haan’s team romped to a 3-0 victory. Krol’s lads had no answer to Ajax’s attacking style of play. Although the chances are slim, Krol still believes his team can take the championship. But if it doesn’t, he hopes the title will go to his fellow Dutchman. “It would be a well-deserved victory,” he says.

(dd/as)